Dark Web | What is Dark Web?

What does Dark Web mean? 

Dark Web

According to Wikipedia The dark web is the World Wide Web content that exists on darknets, overlay networks that use the Internet but require specific software, configurations, or authorization to access.

The dark Web ensures one’s privacy by effectively hiding the server or IP details from the public. The dark Web requires special kinds of software to access. This software acts as a gateway to the dark Web. Once the user gains access, then all the dark websites and other services can be accessed in a simple way with help of browsers.

Conventional web browsers can’t access the dark web. Instead, the dark web uses what’s called The Onion Router is hidden service protocol. “Tor” servers derived from “The Onion Router” are undetectable from search engines and offer users complete anonymity while surfing the web. At the same time, website publishers are also anonymous thanks to special encryptions provided by the protocol.

When you access the dark web, you’re not surfing the interconnected servers you regularly interact with. Instead, everything stays internal on the Tor network, which provides security and privacy to everyone equally.

Worth noting: Dark web website addresses end with .onion instead of the surface web’s .com, .org, or .gov..

Most dark websites are not directly accessible via a normal search made through a search engine; they effectively hide themselves. They are accessible only if the addresses of those sites are known to the user. Some methods which hide websites from normal searches are:

• Private Web which requires registration
• Contextual Web varies as per IP
• Limited access content where access is limited to certainly licensed contents
• Scripted content which is accessible only through links generated by JavaScript or dynamically downloaded from Web servers
• Non-HTML/text content
• Software where data are intentionally hidden from the regular Internet and made accessible only with special software, such as Tor, I2P, or other darknet software
• Web archives which are archived versions of Web pages, including websites which have become inaccessible, and are not indexed by search engines such as Google

The industries which operate over the dark Web are known as darknet markets; this includes black market sales of illegal products, to stay hidden from governments and law enforcement agencies. The Dark Web is also used in other ways, like communication between whistleblowers and protecting users from attacks or surveillance to ensure privacy in communication. But the dark Web is mostly used in black markets as it promises total anonymity.

What’s on the dark web?

The dark web operates with a high degree of anonymity. It hosts harmless activities and content, as well as criminal ones.

For instance, the dark web might include a site that provides complex riddles. Another might be a kind of book club that makes eBooks look more professional. Yet another might offer a forum for people who believe free speech is threatened.

But the dark web is better known for dark content meaning, illegal and sometimes disturbing content. For instance, here’s a sample of illegal things you can find on the dark web.

• Stolen information. When there’s been a data breach, there’s a chance the accessed information from Social Security numbers to bank card numbers will end up for sale on the dark web. You can also buy things like log-in credentials, hacked Netflix accounts, and more.
• Illicit substances. Illegal drugs and prescription drugs are peddled on the dark web. You might also find toxic chemicals that can cause other types of damage.
• Disturbing and dangerous items and services. It can get ugly fast. Things like gore, murderers-for-hire, human trafficking, child pornography, body parts, counterfeit goods, and guns for sale can be found on the dark web.

In short, you can buy just about anything you can imagine including things you’d probably be better off not imagining.

What makes it possible to do business on the dark web? Financial transactions use Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency that helps assure buyers and sellers anonymity.

Also, know:- What is a Bitcoin? | How does it work?

Is the dark web safe?

The dark web may be safe in some cases think, legitimate content but not in others.

Here are a few safety issues to consider.

• Criminal element. There’s a chance you will find websites run by criminals. Beyond selling illegal goods and services, they may seek to exploit you and steal from you.
• Breaking the law. You can be prosecuted for things you do on the dark web. It’s important to behave in an appropriate and legal manner.
• Suspicious links. If you click on any links, you may be taken to the material you might not want to see. It’s also possible that clicking a link or downloading a file could infect your device with malware.
• Law enforcement. Law enforcement officials operate on the dark web to catch people engaged in criminal activity. Like others on the dark web, law enforcement can do their work under a cloak of anonymity.

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